The Shinano Railway Banzai Two-Day pass offers great savings for anyone interested in spending time in the eastern Nagano area. The pass covers the Shinano Railway line between Karuizawa and Yashiro Stations and costs 1,000 yen for adults—already 300 yen cheaper than the one-way fare between the two! The pass is currently going through a trail run from February 1st to March 31st, 2018, but organizers are hoping to turn it into a year-round option.

When using the Banzai pass, you can enjoy eastern Nagano’s fresh foods, wine, and culture. I recently had a chance to explore more of the area, and I’d like to recommend a three-day course between Nagano and Karuizawa:Read the rest of this entry »

Tyler shows our group some Showa era graffiti on a local earthern wall.

On a beautiful fall day, I joined a group of foreigners on a cycling tour of Togura Kamiyamada Onsen south of Chikuma City. The area was once home to several mountain castles and a post town so there is a wealth of history in the area. Our guide, local ryokan owner and area expert Tyler, took us along beautiful mountain roads and pointed out interesting relics and features along the way.Read the rest of this entry »

Perched several hundred meters above Chikuma City is Obasute Station which boasts beautiful scenery of the Nagano valley. The Shinano line passes through this area on its way between Nagano and Matsumoto cities, and is considered one of Japan’s three best train line views.

Cherry blossoms aren’t the only thing to see in Nagano, whose wide variety of climate and terrain is suitable for all sorts of beautiful flowers and plants. During Spring, fields bloom in dazzling shades of yellow, red, pink and purple as the white-capped Japanese Alps stand majestically in the distance. It’s a great time to visit Nagano’s sightseeing spots and enjoy its natural beauty.

Below are some of Nagano’s best and most beautiful orchards and gardens to visit during the Spring months. See some of Japan’s largest apricot orchards, azalea parks and more!

Fresh apricots are once again in season, and Chikuma City (just south of Nagano City) is Japan’s largest grower of apricots.

Apricots are once again in season in Chikuma City

Called “anzu” in Japanese, apricots here actually come in an amazing array of varieties, from the tart heritage varieties to newcomers from North America such as the sweeter “harcot” variety.

Chikuma City’s “Mori” district is known as “Anzu no Sato” (Apricot Village). On the other side of the Chikuma River, just downriver from onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada, is Kyohoen‘s orchard. I stopped by the other day and the owner, Takamatsu-san, was in a great mood as apparently this year is a bumper crop. The growers are especially thankful, as last year many of the trees were damaged by frost during the blossom season resulting in a decreased yield.

Besides coming to an orchard and picking (and tasting!) fresh apricots straight from the tree, apricot jam making activities are also available. The season should continue through mid-July.

Chikuma City’s Mori neighborhood is known as Japan’s largest producer apricots. While the fruit’s season isn’t until the end of June, the valley attracts photographers from all over Japan in early to mid-April for the apricot blossoms. And right now, the trees are in full bloom!

(Photo courtesy of Kiyotaki-san)

Last year, the Emperor and Empress of Japan even came to see Mori’s famous blossoms. This year, the weather is cooperating with clear blue skies so in addition to the beautiful apricot blossoms, Togakushi, Takatsuma and other snow-covered mountains along the Nagano – Niigata border are providing a picturesque backdrop.

The 2014 Apricot Blossom Festival will continue until April 18th. (Access by train from Yashiro Station on the Shinano Railway.)

Ever wanted to taste a tart apricot picked right off the tree? Curious about how much minute care goes into growing an apple in Japan? Want to see grapes as they are growing on the vine instead of at a supermarket counter? Then Chikuma City is the place for you with a plethora of fruit orchards. Practically year-round there is some type of fruit picking that can be enjoyed:

Apricots and Cherries from late June to early July
Grapes from early September to early October
Apples from late September to December
Greenhouse Strawberries from December to early June

The fruit picking season for 2013 is now under way, with sweet, juicy cherries and fresh, tart apricots ready for you to come and pick.

Here in Chikuma City, the Mori district is known as Japan’s #1 ‘apricot village’. The blossoms in early April are so famous that this year even the emperor and empress came to see them. Mori is a 20-minute drive from the main resort area, onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada. A short 15-minute walk away from the onsen, along the Chikuma River, are the apricot orchards of the Sarashina district. And Kyohoen Apricot Orchards are one of the most modern growers, trying to develop better varieties and using cutting-edge techniques to maximize yield.

This past April our area had some devastating low temperatures that are effecting the apricot trees’ production. But the folks at Kyohoen believe strongly in giving guests the opportunity to enter the apricot field and pick fruit themselves. This year’s apricot picking schedule is as follows:

The main Spring event for our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada and the greater Chikuma City area is the Mori “Apricot Village” Apricot Blossom Festival. The dates for the 2013 edition have been announced as follows:

58th Annual Mori Apricot Blossom Festival April 6th-21st 2013.
Anzu-no-Sato Sketch Park Light Up will be April 12th-14th from 6-9pm.

Mori "Apricot Village" Apricot Blossom Festival Map for 2013

And, a bit of big news: Japan’s Emperor is reportedly planning on coming to see the blossoms this year. Actual date will depend on the timing of the blossoms. As soon as information is released, we will announce it here on the blog.

So if you’ve been thinking about coming to see Mori’s apricot blossoms, perhaps this is the year to do it — with no less than the Emperor of Japan coming!

The city Togura-Kamiyamada Onsen belongs to, Chikuma-shi, is famous for apricots. The Mori “Anzu no Sato” (Apricot Blossom) district is Japan’s largest grower of apricots. In addition to Mori, the Sarashina district adjacent to our onsen town has a couple of apricot orchards that are getting bigger year by year.

In April, our area is blessed with the soft-white pink color of the apricot blossoms. Then in June, we get to pick the actual apricot fruit. This year’s apricot fruit-related events are as follows:

Come to Chikuma City in late June and early July for Japan's best apricots

*Sarashina Apricot Fair in Togura Station
June 17th (Sunday) and June 18th (Monday), 2012.
09:30~13:00 in front of Togura Station on the Shinano Railway Line.
Local orchardist Kyohoen will be selling their early variety sweet apricots 500 yen for 1kg. Limit 100 units. Last year, they sold out in a little over an hour, so get there early if you want some.
Other local produce and goods will be for sale, as well as specialty bento lunch box sets. The Yuagari dance troupe will perform, also.
Note: The Kyohoen Apricot Orchard in Sarashina transitions to tart ‘Heiwa’ variety from June 27th and sweeter ‘Harcot’ from July 1st. If you would like to try picking apricots yourself (plucking one and eating it right off the tree is an experience that can’t be beat), feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to make arrangements. The orchard is across the Chikuma River from Togura Station.

The park is set up to provide a glimpse of what life was like in prehistoric Japan, the Jomon era. Besides a recreated Jomon village, there is a sort of historical museum. Not only are there displays and an educational video on Jomon lifestyle, but there are a series of hands-on activities to experience. Our oldest son tried making fire with sticks of wood, while our #2 son and daughter carved a soapstone into a pendant.

Trying to make fire by rubbing sticks

Carving a soap stone pendant

Chikuma City is also fortunate to have a 1600 year old ancient tomb, the Mori Shogun Tumulus. It appears in all 6th graders textbooks in Japan. I’ll have to take our kids for another bike ride to go there next time.